Gary Rowett is preparing to make the most important team selection of his Birmingham City career. And that's including his first spell in the St Andrew's hot-seat.
Blues travel to Huddersfield Town on Saturday in their penultimate game of the Championship season. The severity of Blues' situation is proved by the possibility that they could be relegated on Saturday if results go against them.
The odds are that Blues will live to fight until the final day but their chances of winning the battle will be determined by what happens at the John Smith's Stadium. A victory is desperately needed after Blues failed to beat already relegated Rotherham last weekend.
Alex Dicken (AD) and Brian Dick (BD) have put together their XIs and explained their working out. Have a look at what they have said below...
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Alex Dicken
4-2-3-1: Ruddy; Laird, M Roberts, Sanderson, Buchanan; Bielik, Sunjic; Miyoshi, Paik, Dembele; Stansfield
Coventry aside, Blues haven’t beaten a side by two clear goals since John Eustace’s final week in the job when West Bromwich Albion and Huddersfield were put to the sword. It is my firm belief that keeping clean sheets will keep Blues in the Championship and, although it feels like I’m being negative, I think the set-up should prioritise that.
Marc Roberts and Siriki Dembele would come into my XI from that win over Coventry. It should be a given that Koji Miyoshi replaces Oliver Burke in the line-up once more.
Marc Roberts in place of his namesake Tyler, with Paik Seung-ho moving into a more advanced position to accommodate Krystian Bielik’s return to midfield, gives Blues the height to deal with Huddersfield’s set pieces. Only five teams in the Championship have scored more set piece goals than the Terriers (13). Defender Michal Helik has scored nine of them. Having Roberts, Bielik and Dion Sanderson in the XI gives Blues a chance of coping at set pieces.
The likelihood that Matty Pearson will play at right-back for Huddersfield will surely make Rowett consider Dembele. Dembele destroyed Pearson in the return fixture with the best individual display by a Blues player this season.
It will be about finding balance for Rowett and this XI gives Blues a nice blend of steel and quality.
Brian Dick
4-2-3-1: Ruddy; Laird, M Roberts, Bielik, Buchanan; Sunjic, Paik; Miyoshi, T Roberts, Dembele; Stansfield
Formation wise it’s not even a question for me. Whether we like how quickly Blues are moving or not, the fact is Gary Rowett has shored things up at the back and has a side that is currently mid-table in the form league. Both of those facts necessitate sticking with the 4-2-3-1.
John Ruddy and Lee Buchanan are inked in, for me given Huddersfield’s potency at set-pieces it’s all about aerial presence and if Marc Roberts can last 90 then he should come in to partner Krystian Bielik at centre back. The Pole allows Blues to play out a bit if they want to.
Ivan Sunjic retains his place having come back into the side to good effect and Seung-ho Paik is the most complete, in terms of physicality, mobility and technicality of all the central midfield options. Jay Stansfield is an absolute shoo-in as the attacking ‘1’.
However, there’s tonnes of options for the attacking three. Keshi Anderson has probably been Blues’ most consistent winger in the last couple of matches, while Juninho Bacuna has the ability to produce something out of nothing, an assist or a goal and he’ll want to face his old club.
I’ve gone for Koji Miyoshi who was missed out at Rotherham, Tyler Roberts because he’s the most likely to play close to Stansfield – and Siriki Dembele. Blues need to score. Dembele remains their most incisive forward.
